another quick friday post, as i didn't intend on posting this one, but i had some photos and some people were curious about the recipe. as i mentioned earlier in the week, last weekend was my dad's birthday and also my father-in-law's birthday (they were born same day, same year...trippy!). my dad is the chocolate guy and also the coffee guy, so i endeavored to make these two worlds meet in the form of a celebratory cake! a little bit of toasty sliced almonds for garnish and we were ready to party.

the cake here is my chocolate olive oil bundt from months ago, however, i swapped the water in the recipe for freshly brewed coffee. and the frosting recipe is a simple one using shortening (i thought about doing a cashew cream but i ran out of time!), powdered coconut sugar some cacao and cold brew coffee (if you have it on hand). the almonds just add a little nutty crunch to top it all off. hope you all enjoy this upcoming SUMMER weekend! xo

*the bunting (or "goal post" as my dad referred to it) was made with two 5/6 inch skewers, twine and washi tape :)

instructions

preheat oven to 350° and oil two 6 inch round baking pans, line the bottom of the pans with parchment rounds, run your fingers around the circles to secure them in the pan. evenly divide the batter between each pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean

let layers cool for 30 minutes; then place a piece of parchment paper on top of a cooling rack and turn cake layers onto it, removing the parchment rounds from the bottom of each cake

once completely cool, separately wrap each layer in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to a day

while cake is in the refrigerator, make the frosting. (to make the powdered coconut sugar, place 1/2 cup coconut sugar in a coffee grinder set on fine, and grind.) using an electric mixer, cream the shortening with the powdered sugar until creamy. then add the cacao powder, vanilla and cold brew coffee (or non-dairy milk). loosely cover and set aside until ready to use (*note - if your house runs on the warm side, keep in a cool area. if kept in the fridge, frosting will harden, but will soften as it comes to room temp.)

level each layer, if need be, with a serrated knife; put scraps to the side. place a piece of parchment paper on your cake stand or large (preferably non-rimmed) plate; place one layer on top of the parchment and evenly spread about a half-inch of frosting over top. place the second layer on top and spread frosting evenly on top and sides of cake. decorate sides with sliced almonds and crush a few between your fingers to dust top of cake

place cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve. remove cake 15 minutes before serving, slice and enjoy!